If you enjoy good ghost stories (you know, never really grew out of the RL Stine, Christopher Pike phase) this book and its "sequel", _Coffin Hollow_ are toothsome delights. Full of folktale-style ghost stories dating back a hundred years and more, Musick has collected an exhaustive anthology of West Virginia (and ONLY West Virginia...impressive) spectres including Screaming Jenny and the Wizard of Middleway and so so so so many more. Truly, anyone who enjoys ghost stories will love this collection. I cannot more highly recommend it.

Addendum: This is definitely excellent source material for anyone doing folk studies, anthropological or sociological projects on West Virginia. Musick compiled the stories categorizing them by region, demographic and subject. Worth checking out for references. ( )

This book has everything it takes to be great...West Virginia, lilac bushes (or at least one story with 'lilac bush' in the title), ghost stories...but still it comes up short. The introductions to each section are long-winded and boring. The stories themselves are boring and not in the least scary. Some seemed to end abruptly, leaving me to wonder if the author intended to end the story in this manner or was suddenly called away and forgot to finish. ( )